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Tim Rogers & The Bamboos brought a performance packed with surprises. Rogers is an artist known for eccentricities and an abrasive demeanour; he delivered the one true thing you can expect from him, ‘the unexpected’.

The mature crowd grooved along to a funky version of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off with The Bamboos bandleader Lance Ferguson’s saxophone relishing its time to shine. It was a fun contrast seeing an eight-piece Reservoir Dogs-esque band turn cheesy pop music into funk.

Funk turned to folk for percussive track Lime Rickey. It showcased the band’s strengths; the track just seemed to linger on-and-on, like it was performed in slow-motion. Rogers abruptly threw the crowd back into reality, ranting about social media warriors and feeling affinity with “people who don’t tweet”.

Classic track Heavy Heart caught everyone off-guard as this piece of beautiful songwriting was sung with heaving conviction from both Rogers and the crowd. The Bamboos appeared proud to cover the Australian classic.

To up the ante they finished on I Got Burned, and the baby-boomer crowd embraced their sexuality and swayed along to a six-minute version of the ‘baby-making’ sonic pleasure.

Through moments of freak cooees into the stratosphere and instrument checks as if in rehearsal, the unison between Tim Rogers & The Bamboos was easy to see — it was these unpolished moments that made it even more clear that he’s such a genius yet such a larrikin.

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Photo credit: Averie Harvey

Rapper 360’s confidence was evident in the Super Store that was his merch stand: patched denim vests, hats and hoodies at inflated prices were sold to tatted-up fans hoping to buy into some of his ‘fuck you’ swagger.

Support act Coin Banks warmed up the stage with his high-energy pop culture-fuelled rhymes. His tracks with R&B goddess Thandiwe Phoenix seemed a little wasted on 150 people. The pair had a chemistry that brought Banks’ lyrics to life, particularly in Circles where they chased each other around the stage as Thandiwe’s soulful vocals “360’d” the Metro.

360’s Run Alone made a clear floor pack-out with people, all spilled drinks and intensity. He acknowledged the half-cut crowd and made them feel entitled to be “getting loose” on ANZAC Day, then kicked it old school and played some tracks off his mixed tapes, from a time where he was super aggressive and offensive – making it evident the compromise of creative control to release a commercial album.

However, for a live show he proved he hasn’t lost the love for the foundations of hip hop. A freestyle rap over classic track, Shutterbug brought forth that renowned social commentary with razor-sharp rhymes. His DJ, Matty, had killer execution on the decks, and deafening but clean bass lines. In an endearing sense he appeared to be 360’s number one fan.

360 played the role of Godfather as one-by-one four amateur rappers came out to do a verse. This amped up the crowd to climax, the Metro resembling a scene from Eminem’s Eight Mile.

360’s bad boy attitude was ratified by a strong performance with a genuine affinity to his lyrics; a sentimental tendency to close his eyes and tap into their birthplace. This rapper means business and transported the crux of hip hop and its community through a powerful set.

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Bio

Hayley May is a music journalist abreast of the Sydney and Macarthur (South West Sydney) live gig scene. She writes for themusic.com.au and has a Thursday morning retrospective live blog on radio station C91.3